88 days to kickoff (Counting Down with Gator Greats)

With 10 days to go before kickoff we honor another great Gator wide receiver.

Jabar Gaffney WR (2000-01)
His dad, Derrick, played at UF, and so did uncles Don (the first black quarterback at UF), Johnny and Warren. Jabar, who was a high school teammate of Lito Sheppard at Jacksonville Raines, redshirted as a true freshman in 1999, then had two monster seasons catching passes from Rex Grossman; he finished his two-season college career with 138 receptions for 2,375 yards and 27 touchdowns. Those figures rank ninth, second and fourth, respectively, in school history; he also is the only UF receiver with two career 1,000-yard seasons. He
was a two-time first-team All-SEC pick and was a consensus All-American in 2001, when he was one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award. Other top contenders: QB Larry Rentz, DB Joe Brodsky, DB Jimmy Hall, QB Jimmy Fisher.

 

With T-minus 9 days until the Cane kickoff, we celebrate another great Gator quarterback.

Shane Matthews QB (1989-92)
Spurrier’s first UF quarterback went from the bottom of the depth chart in the spring of 1990 to become one of the best players in college football. Matthews started from 1990-92, throwing for 9,287 yards and 74 TDs (third and fifth in school history); he is second in UF history in pass attempts (1,202), completions (722) and 300-yard games (15). He was a
3-time first-team All-SEC pick and was the SEC Player of the Year in 1990 and ’91. Other top contenders: CB Anthone Lott, WR Louis Murphy, WR Darrell Jackson, WR Ray McDonald.

 

T-minus 8 days to go before the showdown with Miami and we honor yet another great QB.

Rex Grossman QB (2000-02)
One could make a strong argument that he was the best pure passer ever to play for the Gators. Rex was a part-time starter as a redshirt freshman in 2000, sharing time with Jesse Palmer, then owned the job the next two seasons. He threw for 9,164 yards (fifth in school history) and 77 touchdowns (fourth), and owns the school record with 17 career 300-yard passing games. He had 10 of them in 2001, when he threw for 3,896 yards and finished second in the Heisman voting. He left school after his junior season and was a first-round pick in the 2003 draft. Other top contenders: DE Carlos Dunlap, QB Don Gaffney, TE Trey Burton.

 

Remember when Miami came to town? We got all the way down to the Canes 5 yard line...and then passed 3 times until they picked us off and ran back for a TD?

 

With just 7 days to go until kickoff we celebrate and honor a true Saint and one of the most revered Gators ever to grace Florida Field.

Danny Wuerffel QB (1992-96)
One of the greatest — and certainly one of the most popular players in school history. Danny Wuerffel from Fort Walton Beach High, was a four-year starter who guided the Gators to four consecutive SEC titles and a national title as a senior in 1996. He won the Heisman that season, throwing for 3,625 yards and 39 TDs. The TD total set a then-SEC record and now is fifth in league history. For his career, he threw for 10,875 yards and 114 TDs. When he graduated, the 114 TDs was a SEC record and second-most in NCAA history; the total now is second in the SEC and 14th nationally. He also was a two-time SEC player of the year (as a junior and senior). Other top contenders: QB John Reaves, QB Terry LeCount, RB Lorenzo Hampton, DB Duke Dawson, TE Cornelius Ingram.

 

With T-minus 6 days to go until the Cane kickoff, we celebrate a pair of Gator greats.

Taylor Jacobs WR (1999-2002)
A multi-sport athlete coming out of Tallahassee, Taylor Jacobs burst on the scene on a loaded Florida roster, becoming the lone freshman wideout to earn snaps upon his arrival in Gainesville. Although he combined for just eight starts during his following two seasons with the program, Jacob's senior season at Florida was impactful, as he emerged as the primary target in Ron Zook's first season as head coach. He had one of the best seasons by a wide receiver in school history in 2002, catching 71 passes for 1,088 yards. Jacobs' 246 receiving yards in the season-opener still stands as the UF single-game record for receiving yards in a contest. Other top contenders: DE Dante Fowler, K Judd Davis, CB Quincy Wilson.



Dante Fowler DE (2012-14)
A five-star recruit from St. Petersburg Lakewood, Fowler became a two-year starter, earning first-team All-SEC and second-team All-America honors as a junior in 2014. He left for the NFL after that season. Fowler, who was a first-round pick in the 2015 draft, finished his UF career with 14.5 sacks, 34 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles. Others considered: K Judd Davis.

 

With just 5 days until the showdown with Miami, we honor two more Gator greats.

Jacquez Green W (1995-97)
Green was a high school quarterback in Fort Valley, Ga., who became an All-American receiver and return man. He is eighth in school history in receiving yards (2,181) and seventh in TD receptions (23). His 19.3-yards-per-reception average is second in school history among those with more than 100 receptions. Green is tied for the school record with four punt-return TDs; he memorably had two in the same game in a 65-0 bludgeoning of Kentucky in 1996. He left Florida for the pros and was selected in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Green played six seasons in the NFL, registering 162 catches for 2,311 yards and seven touchdowns at the game’s highest level.




Joe Haden CB (2007-09)
He was the first true freshman in school history to start at cornerback on opening day of the season. He was a first team All-American who ended his UF career with eight interceptions.
As a prep school athlete, Haden played quarterback and safety, a true weapon on either side of the gridiron - and he dominated. During his final season at Friendly High School, Haden carried the Patriots to a state championship, while setting a Maryland public high school career record with 7,371 yards. Other top contenders: WR Andre Caldwell, CB CJ Henderson, RB Earnest Graham.